Greeting card chain Clintons has shut its branch at Rugby Central as part of an ongoing programme of store closures across its estate.
The retailer closed the Warwickshire store north of Banbury on Saturday, September 19, bringing an end to 16 years of trading at the shopping centre.
Clintons has two stores in Oxfordshire, with one located in Thame and another at Witney, which both remain open and trading currently.
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The Rugby branch first opened in 2009 and sold greeting cards, gifts and a range of products from well-known brands including Tsum Tsum, Yankee Candle and TY Toys.
Employees said they were devastated by the closure, which also represents another vacant unit on the high street.
One staff member said: “I can’t even begin to explain how devastating this is not only to us as staff members but being another loss in the precinct.”
In the lead-up to the closure, the store held a clearance event offering discounts of up to 70 per cent on cards, gifts and other merchandise as it sought to clear remaining stock.
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The closure comes as Clintons continues to reduce the size of its retail estate amid challenging trading conditions and declining footfall on Britain’s high streets.
In a previous statement, the company said: “The company has continued to close loss-making stores, and the portfolio of retail stores is now down to approximately 170 stores.
“The high street continues to be unpredictable, and the company is seeing reduced footfall in the stores year on year.”
Clintons, which was founded in 1968, has faced increasing pressure from changing shopping habits, rising operating costs and competition from online retailers.
The card retailer has been approached by this newspaper for further information and an update on the future of its Oxfordshire stores.
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